The Meaning of Isaiah 9:8 Explained

Isaiah 9:8

KJV: The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.

YLT: A word hath the Lord sent into Jacob, And it hath fallen in Israel.

Darby: The Lord sent a word unto Jacob, and it lighteth upon Israel.

ASV: The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.

Discover Isaiah 9:8

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Isaiah 9:8?

MEANING: What does Isaiah 9:8 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Isaiah 9:8 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Isaiah 9:8?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The Lord  sent  a word  into Jacob,  and it hath lighted  upon Israel. 

What does Isaiah 9:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This section of the book focuses on the Northern Kingdom, and it ties in with the section immediately preceding concerning the Messiah ( Isaiah 9:2-7). It explains why Ephraim"s plans against Judah would fail. They would not fail because of Ahaz"s alliance with Assyria but because God would frustrate them. Ephraim would not go into captivity because she lacked sufficient military strength but because she failed to measure up to the standard God had set for her. This standard lay in the area of moral rectitude through covenant obedience rather than military resources.
"The great light would not arise till the darkness had reached its deepest point. The gradual increase of this darkness is predicted in this second section of the esoteric addresses [1]." [2]
This section, a poem, consists of four strophes, each ending with the refrain: "In spite of all this His anger does not turn away and His hand is still stretched out" ( Isaiah 9:12; Isaiah 9:17; Isaiah 9:21; Isaiah 10:4; cf. Isaiah 5:25). The progression of thought is from pride, to flawed leadership, to selfishness, to social injustice.
The prophet announced that God had pronounced a message (Heb. dabar, word) of judgment against the Northern Kingdom. It had all the force of Yahweh"s sovereign power behind it, but it would come subject to Ephraim continuing on the course it presently pursued. Prophetic announcements of judgment usually allowed for the possibility of repentance. If the people under God"s promised judgment repented, the judgment would not fall (cf. Jeremiah 18:7-10; Jonah 3:4-10).

Context Summary

Isaiah 9:8-17 - False Leadership Brings Ruin
The grievous sins of the Chosen People are again enumerated. They defied God, Isaiah 8:9-10. They refused to repent; they were blind and deaf and profane, Isaiah 8:13. Their religious and political leaders led them astray, Isaiah 8:16. What could they expect but the letting loose of the judgments of the Almighty!
Isaiah's protests were disregarded, and 2 Kings 15:1-38 tells the sequel. It seems very terrible. But what would the forest-glades become if there were not a perfect machinery for the instant removal of all traces of disease, decay, and death! What is true in the physical is true also in the moral sphere. When a nation has ceased to help, and has commenced to impede the progress of humanity, it must be put out of the way. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 9

1  What joy shall be in the midst of afflictions, by the birth and kingdom of Christ
8  The judgments upon Israel for their pride
13  For their hypocrisy
18  And for their unrepentance

What do the individual words in Isaiah 9:8 mean?

A word sent Yahweh against Jacob and it has fallen on Israel
דָּבָ֛ר שָׁלַ֥ח אֲדֹנָ֖י בְּיַעֲקֹ֑ב וְנָפַ֖ל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל

דָּבָ֛ר  A  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
שָׁלַ֥ח  sent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אֲדֹנָ֖י  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
בְּיַעֲקֹ֑ב  against  Jacob 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
וְנָפַ֖ל  and  it  has  fallen 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל  on  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.

What are the major concepts related to Isaiah 9:8?

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Similar Scriptures for Isaiah 9:8

Isaiah 8:4-8 [2]
Isaiah 7:7-8 [2]
Micah 1:1-9 [2]
Zechariah 5:1-4 [2]
Matthew 24:35 [2]
Zechariah 1:6 [1]